MIA TO ATL : SF5 / STREET DRIVEN TOUR

Back at it again! Sorry for any lack in coverage, but we have been very busy on our end building up everything outside of photography. Steve and I made our way to Atlanta for the event with a “Why not?” attitude. Since we were coming up from Miami, I was going to drive, but the flight was cheap enough that a 10-hour trip lost its appeal (not that it needed much to convince me). We landed in Atlanta and had some amazing food, putting us in a coma the Friday night before the event kicked off.

As we arrived, we saw many new cars, and a lot of vehicles we had been keeping tabs on via social media. The event was that of SouthrnFresh and Street Driven Tour, so you had an amazing car show and an even better drifting showcase – a combination of locals and pros.

While their counterparts were doing the Nitto Tire ‘Auto Enthusiast Day’ on the West Coast, Formula D drivers Pat Goodin, Chris Forsberg, and Ryan Tuerck came out giving ride alongs and meeting the fans.

The last time I saw Chris Forsberg was while shooting through a fence in Orlando, Florida where his car burst into flames, which, unfortunately, put him out of the running while Ryan Tuerck took that one.

I understand the movement of camber within the scene. However, I am personally not a fan of the negative camber on sports cars, though I do love the look and style on big body cars like this Y33, which is part of an Atlanta-based car club called Infamous Society. I loved this color and couldn’t get enough.

Another thing I learned about all the top cars from the show was that their common denominator was Super Star Customs. This shop has put their magic touch onto so many cars. It was incredible, needless to say. I now understand why and wish they were a bit closer to home.

Another car I absolutely loved was this BMW M6. As a fan of red and gold, this is right in my wheelhouse. While its style is more modern with the slammed look, following a more ‘form over function’ direction, it still looks stunning from top to bottom. The details are second to none, and it makes for a hell of a show car.

Another ride you really don’t see much of is this Datsun model. The color combination sets off its JDM history and tells a story about its owner’s character.I dig it when an enthusiast uses their car as a canvas to tell a story and not just to gain Instagram followers.

The Atlanta Motor Speedway halls were filled with vendors and and cars readying to put on a show. One of the cars that caught everyone’s attention was this beautiful yellow Z at the Koru Works booth. There’s not much to say. It’s a classic Japanese machine keeping up with modern design in 2015.

Speaking of old Japanese machines, here you have a more modern drift machine with a Grip Royal-based S13 in a color that was (thankfully) easy to track as it flew past, leaving behind a trail of smoke.

What makes racing great is that you don’t need multimillion dollar sponsors to get you up and running, and this event proves that grassroots drifting is alive as ever.

So, Who want’s to have some fun today?

But before we get to some action and more JDM goodness, I want to take a moment with this awesome 64 Impala that came out to the show. I am a sucker for switches, and this is a personal favorite. The paint job on this car was extremely unique, and one that many would not find appealing. But it had character, and the owner was beyond generous with his time.

When I was walking around, I saw the Impala out of the corner of my eye and went right to it. It stood out in a sea of import muscle. The owner and I spoke about the car for a bit, and he talked about how back in the days of NOPI, he would drive this car to the events, do the hopping competitions then drive back home. This is something to appreciate since many people nowadays won’t even take their cars out in the rain.

So, after walking around the show and seeking media, it was time to follow the cars to the playing field and catch some action. It’s amazing how many S14s and S13s run the drift scene down south, and as a whole, it makes me want to get behind the wheel of one myself.

I have been able to enjoy many motorsports events as of late, and it’s something I hope to use to enhance my resume. It was nice to be close to the action of some very talented drives and, at the same time, maintain the pace of a fun event.

It was also nice not having to shoot through a fence! Due to safety precautions, sometimes these large scale events force you to become much more creative to get the shot. It’s not such a bad thing but can really make shooting an event more of a job than just having fun, which I was able to do this time around. This was such a great event.

I loved everything about the Koru Works S13. From the color combination to wheel choice, it was a unique car to shoot as it flew by.

I wish I could’ve taken a ride in Chris Forsberg’s Infiniti, but, unfortunately, I had to keep my distance and admire the car from afar. I’m sure everyone who got a chance in the car, either in the front or back seat, had a blast. Not many people can say they have been in a car with a pro driver while shifting sideways to create clouds.

At the end of the day, we were dead tired, slightly sunburnt, covered in bits of shredded tire and had to be up at 4am the next morning to catch our flight back to Florida, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Every event is an opportunity to build our skill set, see some awesome builds, and make friends with great people. I am beyond blessed to have the opportunities I do, and I hope to take advantage of said opportunities for years to come.
Thank you SouthrnFresh and Street Driven Tour for giving us the chance to enjoy the event, and we can’t wait to make it out to the next one.